1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for setting teaching data for image processing, and systems and methods for providing the teaching data. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for setting teaching data required for image processing to be carried out in a process of mounting electronics in circuit board assemblies, and a system and a method for providing the teaching data set by the apparatus over a network.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, image processing associated with mounting electronics requires teaching data composed of a combination of component attributes and recognition operation conditions. The component attributes are parameters such as a shape of a component, the number of leads, pitches, and colors. The recognition operation conditions are parameters such as an algorithm for recognizing a positional deviation occurring when the component is sucked for mounting, a type of a camera for shooting the component, a camera position, shooting conditions (lighting, shutter speed, etc).
Conventionally, such teaching data is set as follows. FIG. 6 is a flowchart schematically showing the procedure of a conventional method of setting conventional teaching data. In FIG. 6, from combinations of parameters, an operator extracts a recognition operation condition for each component to be mounted, and sets provisional teaching data (step S41). Using the provisional teaching data, an actual machine verifies its operation (step S42). Then, if it is possible to correctly perform image recognition with an image that was shot based on the provisional teaching data (step S43), the provisional teaching data is determined as final teaching data (step S44). If it is not possible to do so, the provisional teaching data is reset, and verification is again carried out based on the reset provisional teaching data (steps S41 through S43). As such, the conventional teaching data setting method repeats a reset-and-verifying operation in steps 41 through 43 until verification poses no problem. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-332500 discloses a method of quickly and reliably setting a shooting condition related to lighting, which is one of the recognition operation conditions of the teaching data.
However, the conventional teaching data setting method has some drawbacks. For example, in the conventional method, the reset-and-verifying operation repeatedly carried out by the actual machine increases the number of entire operations required in this method. Moreover, human factors such as an operator's past experiences and know-how greatly influence the number of entire operations. For example, the actual machine for verifying the operation is set with a plurality of recognition algorithms for components to be subjected to image processing. Which recognition algorithm should be selected depends on a predetermined recommended value or the operator's past experiences. If there is a problem with the verification results from the selected recognition algorithm, the reset-and-verifying operation has to be repeated. Also, in some cases, operation verification by the actual machine based on the selected algorithm may not be sufficient enough to find a hidden problem. In such cases, the final teaching data becomes unreliable. Thus, image processing is carried out by using such unreliable teaching data, causing some errors or erroneous detection. Also, in image processing, deterioration of a machine for use in image processing (for example, wear on a tip of a suction nozzle and reduction in lighting) and random noise included in shot-image data will cause changes of the shooting condition included in the teaching data that has been set in the machine. Such changes that occurred in the machine for image processing may also cause errors or erroneous detection, because the changes have not been considered to set the teaching data.
In mounting electronics, image processing is utilized for detecting a position of an electronic component held by a mounting machine for mounting, for verifying electronic components by a verifying machine, and for other purposes. In the field of mounting electronics, components to be processed are comparatively standardized, and therefore machines for use in mounting processing are comparatively standardized. However, the number and types of components greatly vary, making the teaching data extremely complicated for each user and each type of circuit. Consequently, even the slightest error in the teaching data may cause significant errors or erroneous detection. Therefore, appropriately setting the teaching data for image processing associated with mounting electronics is highly desired. Furthermore, efficient diversion of the use of such complicated teaching data for other purposes is also desired.
Still further, even when the above-mentioned method of quickly and reliably setting a shooting condition related to lighting as the recognition operation condition is used, only part of the above-mentioned drawbacks can be solved. To set a suitable recognition algorithm, the reset-and-verifying operation still has to be repeated as with the conventional method. Also, changes of the shooting condition due to deterioration of the machine for use in image processing or random noise have not been taken into consideration to set the teaching data, leading to errors or erroneous detection.